Entertainment
Bill Bourne… Madagascar Slim… on their way to Red Deer for September 27th performance
Madagascar Slim reflects on the joys of belonging to Tri-Continental
By Mark Weber
Anyone who has ever taken in the sonic magic of Tri-Continental can’t help but notice the rare and accomplished musicians that make up this Internationally acclaimed group.
Known the world over for their compelling, intricately crafted tunes, Tri- Continental will be performing in Red Deer Sept. 27th in a concert presented by the Central Music Festival Society.
Local fans can check out what Madagascar Slim, Bill Bourne, Lester Quitzau and Michael Treadway have been up to of late as they feature tunes from last y ear’s disc Dust Dance plus cuts from their extensive repertoire, said Slim, a folk and blues guitarist who hails from Madagascar but settled in Ontario back in 1979.
First, a quick look at their roots. Slim recalls first hearing Bourne at a Toronto club some 20 years ago and being struck by his talent. “There was Bill in his top hat,” he recalled with a laugh. “I said, can I play this other guitar? He said, ‘Pick it up, man!’ “So I started playing with him, and he looked at me and said, ‘You want to come up with me onstage?’ Bourne later told him about Quitzau, and a new band was born. The possibilities from this collaboration would prove endless.
In the meantime, the gigs started coming fast and furious and it wasn’t long before they laid down tracks for their first disc. Typically, the men each bring their own works to the group and perform them as a singular creative force, continually finding fresh ways to interpret each other’s style. It’s always proven a hit with audiences and critics alike. As Slim noted, when Tri-Continental plays his music, it sizzles with a completely different vibe then it may have in another setting with other players. And that goes for each of the guys, he explains. “We add our personalities to the mixes.” That said, they have worked on music together, too. “We have embryos of ideas and we bounce them back and forth,” he notes. But essentially, the raw creativity is just simply sparked by being together. And really, the guys never completely know, in a sense, where things will go as a show unfolds. “We come up with a lot of the ideas right when we are playing,” he explains. “That’s what makes the magic.” Indeed.
Besides being a member of Tri-Continental and the world music group African Guitar Summit, Slim has also worked as a solo artist and a regular collaborator with blues singer Ndidi Onukwulu. All the guys have, for the past few years, been following their own artistic paths. But then Slim recalled landing an email from Quitzau about reconnecting. And the time seemed right.
It’s also been an exciting new ‘chapter’ for Tri-Continental with the addition of drummer Michael Treadway as well. “Michael has added a new dimension to the whole thing,” observes Slim, pointing out that with much of hi s own music based so solidly on rhythmic foundations, adding such a strong percussive element is nothing short of exhilarating.
“As soon as Michael started playing I thought, oh my goodness. This is it! I really felt totally comfortable. And he just jumped into it and made it his home, too,” he added. “I’m really appreciative of the fact that he’s playing with us. He’s a joy to be on tour with – very bubbly, very enthusiastic.”
Slim moved to Canada in 1979 to study English and accounting at Seneca College, pursuing music with the folk group La Ridaine while studying. As time passed, his ‘calling’ to music became more obvious. It’s been a memorable ride to be sure, with his talents seemingly boundless. And to this day, he loves nothing better than hitting the stage with the men of Tri- Continental. They don’t live near each other, but that’s also what also makes those reunions that much sweeter. One can sense the sheer joy in Slim’s voice when he chats about not only the creative experiences the members are sure to share in the months ahead, but also the re-connecting with fans old and new. “When you don’t see each other for awhile, it seems like it brings us closer,” he says with gratitude. “I’m really happy when I see those guys!”
For more information or to purchase tickets, check out www.centralmusicfest.com.
Quick Hit:
President Trump has appointed Jon Voight, Sylvester Stallone, and Mel Gibson as “special envoys” to Hollywood, aiming to restore a “Golden Age” and challenge the industry’s entrenched liberal bias. According to RealClearPolitics’ Ethan Watson, the move highlights the necessity of reclaiming cultural institutions from leftist control.
Key Details:
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Trump’s Truth Social post described the trio as his “eyes and ears” in Hollywood, advising on business and social policy.
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Hollywood’s leftist dominance, as seen in Disney’s political agenda and the cancellation of Gina Carano, has alienated conservatives.
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Watson argues that Trump understands “politics is downstream from culture” and that influencing Hollywood is vital to shaping American values.
Diving Deeper:
President Trump’s latest move to reshape Hollywood has the entertainment industry buzzing. By appointing Jon Voight, Sylvester Stallone, and Mel Gibson as his “special envoys” to Tinseltown, Trump is signaling that conservatives no longer need to cede cultural institutions to the left. As RealClearPolitics’ Ethan Watson writes, “Donald Trump understands something many right-wingers haven’t for a long time: It’s time to take back institutions.”
Trump, who has long criticized Hollywood’s liberal slant, sees the entertainment industry as a battleground for shaping public opinion. “Although studies have shown that many Americans, particularly younger people, are unaware of the biggest news story of the day, nearly all of them consume media produced by Hollywood,” Watson notes. This cultural dominance, Watson argues, has been exploited to push a left-wing agenda, alienating conservative voices.
The case of Gina Carano exemplifies Hollywood’s intolerance toward dissent, Watson writes. The former “Mandalorian” star was fired by Disney in 2021 after posting a historical comparison on social media. “In truth, her cancellation was most likely due to her mocking pronoun virtue signaling and COVID-19 precautions that were essentially an entrance fee into the upper echelons of Hollywood,” Watson states. The politicization of entertainment didn’t stop there—Disney executive Latoya Raveneau openly admitted to inserting a “not-at-all-secret gay agenda” into children’s programming.
Watson pushes back against the idea that conservatives should simply “build their own” Hollywood, arguing that the industry is too integral to American culture to be abandoned. “Casting it aside would be like trying to create an alternative to Mount Rushmore or baseball – it’s irreplaceable,” he writes. Trump’s decision to highlight conservative-friendly stars like Stallone, Voight, and Gibson sends a powerful message: conservatives in Hollywood no longer have to stay silent.
Trump’s envoys are a step toward restoring balance in an industry that has become a one-party echo chamber. “Hollywood, along with social media, has become the ‘town square,’ the medium by which Americans share ideas,” Watson explains. With leftist cancel culture stifling dissent, Trump’s initiative is not just about entertainment—it’s about ensuring freedom of expression in America’s most influential industry.
From LifeSiteNews
In a surprise post on Truth Social, Trump announced, ‘It is my honor to announce Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone, to be Special Ambassadors to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California.’
In an unexpected move, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has selected Mel Gibson, along with Sylvester Stallone and Jon Voight, to be “special ambassadors” to Hollywood in his next administration.
“It is my honor to announce Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone, to be Special Ambassadors to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California,” Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social on Thursday.
Elaborating on his decision, Trump continued:
They will serve as Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood, which has lost much business over the last four years to Foreign Countries, BACK—BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!
These three very talented people will be my eyes and ears, and I will get done what they suggest. It will again be, like The United States of America itself, The Golden Age of Hollywood!
All three of the Hollywood stars are baptized Catholics and have, to varying degrees, professed and defended their beliefs both in God and in conservative principles more generally.
The appointments come just days after Gibson, who is well-known as an outspoken Catholic actor and director, appeared on the popular Joe Rogan Experience podcast, making headlines for defending the resurrection of Christ, talking about the post-Vatican II crisis in the Catholic Church, and speaking candidly about the important role his faith has played in his life. Gibson’s house was also one of many to have burned down in the fires ravaging Los Angeles, describing it as a form of “purification.”
Similarly, Stallone, who talked about his return to Christianity in the early 2000s after drifting away in his younger years, was also in the news recently for saying for the first time publicly that he is the survivor of abortion.
As for Voight, he was raised Catholic and attended the Catholic University of America, and is well-known for holding conservative views and talking openly about his belief in God. He is also the father of famous actress Angelina Jolie.
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